Five players the Seahawks should target in 2016 draft
By Dan Viens
TAYLOR DECKER, OT, Ohio State
Projected round: 1st or 2nd
Decker made 42 starts for the Buckeyes, the last 28 as their left tackle. There is some question of whether he can stick at LT in the NFL, but at 6’7″ and 316 lbs he has intriguing size and skill-set to go with it.
Described as a lineman who plays with a nasty streak, he has the athletic ability for his size to get downfield to the second level while punishing defenders in the running game. I’ve seen him knocked for “has trouble dealing with elite outside speed rushers,” but who doesn’t? Every scouting report I’ve seen describes Decker not only as a leader, but as a great student of the game (and in the classroom for that matter) who has improved every year.
His size, experience, talent level and makeup all point to Decker being a guy that can start at tackle from day one in the NFL. We’ve talked about the possibility of Garry Gilliam moving over to LT should Russell Okung depart as a free agenct (which appears likely), but if given the opportunity to win the job as a rookie, Taylor Decker just might be a guy who could man the left side in Seattle for a long time.
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